


Five Times Trent Needed Help and the One Time Someone Noticed

by MarshMellowDuck



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: A bit of Casey, Angst, Gen, I'm so mean to Trent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 03:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4003834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshMellowDuck/pseuds/MarshMellowDuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think the title is self-explanatory</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Trent Needed Help and the One Time Someone Noticed

**Author's Note:**

> None of the characters in this story belong in any way to me, no matter how much I wish they did. There are a few deviations from canon though. Trent’s back story is a little different then what was implied in the show. In my story, he went through years of foster homes and orphanages before being taken in recently by Anton. Also, Anton is not as understanding, and having Mesagog as an alter-ego is not helping. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the story, and feel free to leave any suggestions in the comments. This is totally unbeta-ed, and so any mistakes are mine.

One

Trent and his family go on a picnic in the woods. He loves the woods, because they’re wide and open and beautiful. His room is covered with messy drawings of them, that don’t look anything like Mommy’s, but that’s okay because he’s going to practice his whole life and get better until they look just like Mommy’s. 

They find a big cave in one of the mountains, and they all go inside to look around. Daddy tells him that they might find dinosaurs. Trent holds Daddy’s hand, because he is scared of the dark, but doesn't want to tell anyone because he’s supposed to be a big boy. 

Then the ground begins to shake and Trent’s scared because he doesn't know why. The ground never shakes. Daddy tells him to go outside, and wait while he finds Mommy. But before Trent can run outside, the top of the cave comes down, and Trent screams because he can’t see Mommy or Daddy and he’s scared. His leg hurts and he can’t move.

And then everything stops, and Trent is left in the dark, alone. He screams and cries, but no one hears him. He want’s Mommy and Daddy, but he can’t hear them, and now his chest hurts. 

When someone finally comes, and finds him, Trent asks the man to help him find his parents. But the man shakes his head, and takes Trent away. But no, the man doesn't understand, his Mommy and Daddy are still trapped in there. The man says they’re “dead”, but he doesn’t know what that means.

“Help them, they’re still in there!” But the adults keep walking away, carrying him with them. He can’t understand why they are gone, and no one will tell him. 

Days later, in the orphanage, Trent sits with a piece of paper in one hand, and a pencil in the other. He thinks about the forest, wanting to draw a tree. But every time he thinks of drawing trees, he thinks of the cave, and then he thinks of Mommy. 

“Why did they leave me? I don’t want any more toys or new pencils. I just want Mommy and Daddy back. I’ll be a good boy, I promise.” He whispers. And looking back at the paper, he knows that he never wants to draw trees again. Not without Mommy. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Two

Trent is climbing a tree in the park. He is determined to get to the top, to prove that he is a big kid, and that he’s not scared. Nope, he’s not scared of heights and he is going to prove it to the other kids, who are in sixth grade already. They always make fun of him because he is only in fourth grade. Trent wished he had a sibling, because all the kids in this neighborhood are mean. He was so tired of foster families. They take care of you for a little while, but then take him back to the orphanage every time, a pitying look on their faces. It had been years now, and he had gone through at least eight of them.

Also, being the foster kid makes you stand out to every other kid much more than just being the new kid. Trent never tells anyone about the bullies. He’s hoping this time it will be different. He is going to show them that he is not weak or a baby. He grabs the branch above him, and keeps climbing up. He’s going to make it to the top of this tree if it kills him. Then maybe they can all play together. 

Trent climbs higher and higher, and soon is almost near the top. He can make it. There are two branches left, then one, then…. Trent’s made it. 

“I made it guys! I’m grownup too; I can play with you guys now!” No response. He looks down, and notices that there is no one there. Trent freezes, and looks down the street and in the park. Not a single person. They’d all left him. 

Blinking back tears, he quickly climbs back down, slipping on a few branches along the way. By the time he reaches the bottom, his arms and legs are all scratched up. Trent runs towards the house, and spots the boys standing in the yard across the street. He runs up to them. 

“Why did you guys leave me behind? I made it up the tree.” He can feel the hot tears starting to come down. A few of the boys snicker. 

“TRENT FERNANDEZ!”, Trent flinches at the sound of Marie, the lady who took him in this time. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS YOUNG MAN! AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING!” She looks furious, and Trent can’t understand why. 

“I was climbing the tree. They said I could play with them if I proved I was a big boy.” He shrinks in on himself as her brown eyes narrow.

“We never told him that, Mam. I tried to get him to stop climbing, but he didn't listen.” One boy says. 

“Yeah, we offered him a baseball glove, but he told us sports were stupid. He was kinda mean.” Another one says, shrugging. Trent can’t believe his ears. 

“THAT’S IT YOUNG MAN! I AM SICK OF YOUR BEHAVIOR. YOU ARE GROUNDED FOR THREE DAYS. HOW DARE YOU LIE TO ME AGAIN?” Trent doesn't know what to do or say. It’s just like yesterday all over again. She storms away, and Trent follows, looking back at the boys. They are smirking and grinning at him, and he can hear their laughter down the street. 

Back at the house, Trent tries to ask her what he did wrong, silently asking her to help him. He doesn't understand what to talk about, or what to do when “hanging out”. They never did anything like that in the orphanage. He doesn't know how to make friends, he’s only nine. 

“Trent, I know this is hard for you, and I shouldn't have yelled at you, but you have to work with me too. You have to tell me the truth, so I can help you. And you shouldn't blame other people, especially those nice boys. Why don’t you play with them next time? Try to make some friends Trent.” 

And so he tries. Over and over. But no one wants to be friends with him. The boys have told everyone about the weird kid with no parents who still cries like a baby. Trent stops going outside, and instead just stays inside and draws. The only people who even tried to talk to him were the power rangers from the next town over. 

He looks over the dinosaur he had drawn. It looks alright, but doesn't seem right. He thinks of the Red turbo ranger, and begins to draw. If only he could have been taken in by a family in Angel Grove. Looking at the picture, he decides that from now on he is only going to draw superheroes. 

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Three

The time after Marie, was the longest that Trent had ever stayed in the orphanage. He was getting older now, and not too many people wanted to foster, or much less adopt the older kids. Parents tended to look for the younger impressionable kids, the ones whose lives they could play a major role in for as long as possible. And Trent didn't fault them for it. 

But something in him still wished sometimes, that maybe someone would come and want to adopt him. Of course, it never happened, but it was great to dream. And it kept his spirits high, because to be honest, the orphanage was a great dream crusher. 

The orphanage, with all of its small, plain rooms and hardwood floors, was not meant to be a permanent home for any of the kids. It was supposed to be a temporary safe home while kids waited for a real home. That was the thought anyway. 

There were about ten to fifteen kids that had all been here for more than six years. Kids, who were waiting to come of age so they could ditch this place forever. Trent was quickly becoming one of them. 

“What are you doing in here?” Trent flinched, the line he was drawing veered off course. Breathing deeply, he erased the line, and started over. 

“I’m drawing. Do you need something?” Footsteps drew close to him. He still didn't look up, instead focusing on the hair of his latest sketch. 

“That looks good. How did you learn to draw like that?” Trent finally looked up, into the face of Casey Rhodes. His eyes were wide with amazement. 

“I practiced. For a long time.” Casey picked up one of his books, and looked through it. 

“Why do you only draw people? Why not animals?” Whatever Trent had been expecting, this was not it. 

“I only draw superheroes.” Please go away.

“Why can’t animals be superheroes?” Patience, Trent.

“Because animals don’t save people.” Casey seemed to stop and think for a second here, the small boy scrunching up his face in concentration. 

“But if they save each other, doesn't that make them a hero too? Like if a mom saves her cub from dying, doesn’t that make her the cub’s hero?” Trent sighed. 

“I guess.” Maybe he’ll go now. However, Casey showed no sign of leaving. Darn.

“Then you should draw an animal. You should draw a…. a wolf! They all live in a pack together, I bet they save each other all the time.” 

“NO.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because I said so.”

“Give me a reason.” Casey threw out his lower lip in a pout. Trent looked down wistfully at his half-finished drawing. Well, he guessed some new inspiration wouldn't hurt. 

“OK, fine. Now get out.” Casey crossed his arms across his chest. “But I wanna watch.” Great, and now he was whining. Trent was so done. 

“No, if you want me to draw you a wolf, then you have to leave.” Casey finally left, and Trent let out a sigh of relief. But as he turned his attention back to his drawing, finally fixing that line, he couldn't help but feel like it was way too quiet.

It takes a good couple hours, but eventually; Trent decides that he should probably at least start drawing the wolf. This is something new though. He has drawn people for years now. He barely even knows what they look like. Well, I guess everything has to start somewhere. And so he thinks about his image of a wolf, and then puts his pencil to paper.

Once he starts, it is easy enough to continue. First, the eyes. Even though he has learned that wolves are predators first, Trent can’t help but think of another set of wide, brown eyes that look nothing like a predator's. But this is a hero after all, and this is how he draws. And stroke by stroke, his wolf comes together. 

By the time he finishes, it is near bedtime, and so Trent quickly sneaks out, heading to Casey’s room. It’s down the hall, near other boys in his age group. He slides the picture under his door, before heading back to his own room for the night. And that night, for the first time, he almost can’t believe how much he wants that nine-year-old kid to like his drawing. 

“Trent! Trent! Trent!” Trent looks around, eyes still bleary from sleep. Casey was jumping up and on his bed, shaking it and him around. “Huh?”

“You finished the wolf! See I told you that you could draw animals too! That must mean that animals are superheroes too ‘cause you can draw them, and you only draw superheroes. And the wolf even looks like a superhero, which means he’s a nice wolf because superheroes are nice. ” Trent is way too tired to even try and comprehend his babbling. He keeps quiet, waiting for the younger boy to leave. But Casey doesn't budge a bit, and keeps rambling on about wolves. 

And for five weeks, Trent doesn't draw alone, because Casey seems to really like watching him draw, no matter what it is. But Trent finds himself drawing more and more animals, because it makes the little boy happy. And soon there is a tiger, a cheetah, a jaguar and a rhino next to his wolf, giving Casey his own little jungle. 

Trent also tries to draw some ancient animals, ones that he had given up on years ago. And he draws a triceratops and pterodactyl, to hang up on his own blank walls. But it is then that the orphanage decides to actually work for once. And Casey’s stay at the building is over, because someone wants to adopt him. And Trent is genuinely happy for him, for that is another kid who won’t have to go through foster care, whose stay at the orphanage is truly temporary.

But as he watches the brunette leave the orphanage and him behind, Trent feels his heart closing up once more. And he once again begins to draw in silence, with no one to ask him questions about each line and why the shading is darker there, or what animal is coming next. And he hates himself for not throwing that damn kid out when he first saw him because then he wouldn't have ever talked to him or realized how nice it was to actually talk to somebody. 

Because now Casey is gone, just like his parents are. But unlike his parents, who he can sometimes barely remember, Casey was just here. He sat in that chair, and hugged that pillow and opened that door and ate in that room. And Trent misses him so much because Casey actually liked him, and now all he has is his own friendless world once more. 

And in the months that come after, Trent would come to regret it, but right now he couldn't help but hate that they had to come and take Casey away. He doesn't know what to do, how to deal with the loss. He never even learned with his parents, and had isolated himself ever since. 

“Mrs. Meyers, have you ever lost a friend?” The headmistress looked at him straight in the eye, and Trent gulped, realizing that in all his years he had never said so many words to her. “Oh yes, many.” She stated it so casually, and he allowed himself to hope. “What did you do after?”

“I moved on with my life. It was only one obstacle.” 

Maybe it makes sense to an adult, but to Trent it only dropped his mood further. What life did he even have? And when for the first time in years Trent let himself cry, not only for Casey, but for the fact that no one ever seemed to even try to help him, even when he asked. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Four

“What is that?” Trent stares at the metal band lying on the table, a white gem in the center. He keeps walking towards it, even though his mind is screaming stop. He looks around, listening warily for any sound of footsteps. There is nothing, and so he reaches for the band, and it begins to glow brighter and brighter. 

He blinks and the band leaps up, fastening itself to his hand. The band then transforms suddenly into a small white dinosaur head, strapped to his wrist by a black band. Trent’s mind is suddenly bombarded by images, flashes of a white power ranger. He screams as the flashes continue, feeling as if his head is being torn apart. He opens his eyes, finding himself on the floor. As he gets up, his wrist begins to burn, and Trent begins to run.

He races down the halls, searching for the green light, heart racing. Footsteps come up from behind him, and Trent presses himself into the wall, desperately, knowing that he is caught. A monster comes out from behind the doors, a dinosaur walking like a human. Trent freezes as he sees the eyes, cold and calculating. The monster is in all black, and there is a spiked crest on the back of his head.

However instead of tearing him apart, the dinosaur simply walks past him, eyes scanning right over him. “Master?” At the voice, the monster turns and stops watching the walls. Trent looks down at his body, and nearly gasps when he sees nothing, the monster looks up suddenly, and his body goes cold. But unable to spot anything, he leaves, his black robes brushing against the door.

Trent stays there for a few minutes after the monster leaves, unwilling to move. But then his wrist begins to burn again, and he can see white electricity sparking off the eyes of the dinosaur. He begins to search again, but he forces himself to stay as quiet as possible. Then, he sees a flash of green reflecting off the floor, and turning his head, and he leaves.

But even when he is back out of the terrifying lab, the dinosaur does not calm down. The band only begins to glow again. Trent’s body shakes in fear and pain as the electricity begins to grow, and the bolts spread all over his body. “Help please, someone help” It’s all he can do to stay conscious and moving. He runs outside, falling down as the pain overwhelms his mind. Then the world flashes white, and everything goes dark. 

\---------------------------------------------

His body hurts so much. Trent can see there is light in front of his eyes, but they feel so heavy. He pries them open, and winces at the bright light. He is in some alleyway, and he has no idea how he got here. Glancing at his wrist, Trent can see that it is a metal band once again, and tries to pull the band off, desperate to never experience that again. 

“Owww!” He puts his burned fingers in his mouth, glaring at the bracelet. The white gem had shocked him as he tried to pull it off. Biting his lip, Trent tried not to scream in frustration. What was he supposed to do? 

So he ignores it. He already wears long sleeves anyway, so it isn't a big deal. Trent has worn them for years, ever since that one day when he was thirteen. But he doesn't think about it anymore, and simply covers up the scars. Now they cover up the wristband as well. 

School is brutal that day. He hadn't done any homework, and he knows he failed those two tests. Also, he can feel Dr. Oliver’s eyes on the back of his head, even though he’s sure he hadn't done anything to the science teacher. 

The wristband doesn't do anything that day though, or the next, so he decides to just forget about it.  
\---------------------------------------------

Three days later, the dinosaur is back, along with the burning, only this time, it is worse. Trent is trying to draw on the lawn, and the electricity burns the paper and his pencil. It’s faster though, and within seconds, all he can see is white. And his body is dying. Trent wonders if anyone can hear his screams, because they must be bloodcurdling. 

He once again wakes up in the middle of the city, and this time he can barely stand. But for some reason he feels a small sense of satisfaction, as if there is someone in his mind, happy with his loss of memory. 

It doesn't stop. From then on, every couple of days the gem starts again. Trent is losing his mind. He can’t remember when he sleeps or eats, and he keeps waking up on the ground. His grades have dropped to nearly failing, because he can’t concentrate with the pain in his head. He sits down slowly on a bench at school, trying to stop his shaking. 

“Hey Trent, are you alright?” Please no, just leave me alone. 

“Yeah I’m fine.” He looks up; trying to focus, but the whole world is spinning. 

“No offense dude, but you don’t look fine.” Suddenly anger rises up inside Trent, and it scares him because it isn't his. Conner is reaching towards him now, and Trent flinches, violently. “I’m just taking a rest!”

“Do you want me to call your dad or something?” Fear is coiling with the anger now. 

“NO Don’t! Just leave me alone.” He has to get away, now, before he does something. He turns and begins to stumble away, trying to ignore the hurt feeling he can sense from Conner. He doesn't know what to do. Trent finally reaches the woods, and collapses, holding his knees to his chest, and lets go.

Trent begins run his fingers through his hair, then grabbing and pulling violently, not caring about the pain. He was breaking down from the stress and falling apart and the only people who noticed were his enemies. He doesn't even know why they are his enemies, or when he started to hate them so much. His dad doesn't care, but Trent doesn't know if he ever did. And he’s missing more than half of his memory from the last week and his entire world is scarred by exhaustion and pain. 

Then the dinosaur comes back, eyes glowing, and his world flashes once more into white, his body on fire with agony. And he feels like he is dying as his body is forcibly transformed, his mind going blank. 

 

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Five

Looking back, Trent probably should have realized that his mess of a life would take much more than just one decision to fix. And while joining the power rangers made a couple parts of his life easier, they also made it a lot worse. 

For one, school had been easier. With the support of both Dr. O and the other teens, he had a lot less trouble making up the assignments and lessons that Trent missed while out fighting. And it also made it a lot easier to convince the teacher that he wasn't ditching when another teacher was on his side. 

But that also brought up the fact that he was now around a teacher and three other teens half the day, and it was a huge transition. Before it had always been just him, but it felt like they were always trying to drag him outside, when he really didn't want to be. Hayley was better about it, but she still sometimes dragged Trent away from work to go out, and “be a teenager”. 

Maybe that’s just a side effect of having friends, but he doesn't really know. Trent was never too experienced in that field. To be honest, he still isn't that experienced. 

And while Kira and Dr. O seemed to have gotten over the fact that it had been his power all along, Conner and Ethan were not so trusting. To be honest, Trent couldn't exactly blame them, as he could vaguely remember pretending to have broken free of the gem when he really hadn't. But it made everything so much harder to deal with, especially because the gem had no control now, and he could still see Conner watching him like a hawk sometimes. 

“Trent? Are you listening to me?” Swerving around, Trent could see Anton looking at him, a stern look on his face, walking towards him. “Yea” 

“Where were you last night?” Fighting your latest monster. 

“Umm, out with some friends.” Watching his foster parent’s face, he can see what’s coming. 

“I think that you should stop going out so much, and focus on your schoolwork. The colleges only take the best students. I don’t know why you don’t want to be the manager of that cafe; you spend so much time there anyway. It would be a good experience for your career.” Sigh. It’s Hayley’s cafe. 

“But I don’t have any interest in business. You know that. I know what I want to do in life.” Anton’s face tightened, and Trent held his breath. 

“That doesn't matter. You are going to be a good business man if I have to force you. Can’t you see that this hobby isn't going to get you anywhere in life. I am trying to make you worthy of carrying the name Mercer. This is who you are now.” The air of indifference on his face hurts. 

“No it’s not. Drawing is my life, and it will never be any less. I’m not like you.” Trent is trying not to back down, trying to stand up against Anton’s growing anger. 

“Then you are going to have nothing in your life until you change your mind. I will not pay for you to major in some useless major and waste your life!” Clenching his fists, Trent tried to stop himself from shaking. 

“Then you are going to be waiting a long time! I’m not going to spend my life doing something that I hate when I can have a job that I love! Why can’t you accept that I am not going to be that perfect son that you want?” He turned away from Anton, and tried to leave, only to be yanked back. Started, Trent didn't fight back as the man slammed him into the wall, holding his wrist in an iron grip. 

“Let go of me.” Trent hoped his voice did not sound as scared as he was. He was a damn power ranger. Anton only tightened his grip, with much more strength then a human should have. Getting no reaction, Trent gave in, and broke out of the hold. He ducked a fist, body falling naturally into the movements he had been doing for months now. 

Trent stopped Anton from landing a kick, and bent down to sweep his legs out from under him, and froze. What was he doing? This wasn't Mesagog, this was Anton. He felt horrified at his lack of restraint. Then his own legs were knocked out from under him, and he was looking at the ceiling. Even though Trent had stopped moving, it seemed Anton had only taken advantage of his distraction. He begins to struggle, and then is pushed into the edge of his desk, hard. Trent bites back a scream as it cuts into his back.

Looking up, any hope of this being Mesagog disappeared, as Anton’s eyes were clearly blue. He grabbed his foster son by the wrist again, and began to pull him towards his office. Breaking out of the hold once more, Trent ran for it. 

He dashed out of the hallway, nearly slammed into the front door. Panicking, Trent yanks open the front door, the footsteps getting louder. He leaps into his car, and drove away, nearly hitting some trash cans along the sidewalk. Heart racing, he drove to the woods, a couple miles from where Dr. O lived, and tried to calm down. Laughing at himself, he wonders for a moment why he feels safer near his teacher's house.

Checking the backseat and trunk, Trent can see he has enough money to rent an apartment for at least a month, though anything extra will be cutting it close. He lays his head down on the steering wheel, and prays that he can do this without anyone noticing, because there is no way he is going home until this is all over. And there is no way he is going back to foster care ever again. 

Trent sighs, and for a moment he is filled with so much longing it hurts. Even though Anton had been less than ideal, it had been permanent, for at least a while. He thinks of the other three teens, and how at least they have their parent’s and each other. He doesn't want to count them as friends, because he knows that they will all leave him when they find out his secret. 

The adrenaline is wearing off now, and Trent winces at the stinging in his back and on his wrists. He can see that his arms are only bruised, and should be fine the next time he morphs. But looking at his back, the cut is not going to be so easy. It’s going to scar, but at least he will be able to hide it. Wiping it off the best he can, he turns on his car again, and heads into town. 

Unfortunately most apartments will be too expensive for him to continuously pay for. Trent pulls up to a dumpy place on the opposite side of the neighborhood from Anton’s house. He doesn't know how long this ranger thing will go on for, so he knows he can’t be too choosy. 

Looking inside, he winces a bit at the smell, but knows this is the best he can do. Just two more years, two more years until he can stop worrying about the child services and fake homes with people that don’t really care. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

One 

Trent knows that he should have told them about his secret months ago. He knows that maybe he should have told them about where he was staying a couple weeks ago. But there are a lot of things that he should have done. And there is nothing he can do about it now. 

Trent feels like he’s back at the beginning, like he had just been evil, and no one trusts him yet. Only this time, he’s fought with them for months already. And this time he has no idea what he is supposed to do to gain their trust back, if he even can. For all Trent knows, this could be the last straw, and maybe they won’t ever trust him again. 

He can see them looking at him in school, and after school as well. All four of them. Conner’s probably telling them about how he knew this was coming, that they should never have let Trent in in the first place. How he’s probably told his “father” everything. As if he could. Trent knows that it is his fault that they can’t trust him though. He is the same ranger that beat them to the ground over and over again earlier this year. 

He’s been expecting this all to be honest. He knew what he was risking keeping Mesagog’s human identity from them, especially Dr. O. He hopes that in their anger, they will overlook the question of where he is living. It doesn't really matter much now though. They’ll never believe him, not unless he dies for them. And no matter how much Trent wishes that he could do that, he’s nowhere near brave enough. 

But other than that, Trent doesn't know what they want from him. He’s already fought with them for months, and he wonders if they’ll take his morpher, and his only way to prove himself away now. 

He goes to Dr. O’s house after school, almost expecting to be attacked at the door. However, to his surprise, it’s only Dr. O who answers the door.

“Trent, come in, we have a lot to talk about.”  
“Are the other’s here?” Trent glances around the empty lab. 

“No, they’re at the cybercafe. They’re all really upset, especially Conner.” Dr. O looks at him directly now. “I know” Trent shifts, uncomfortably.

“Trent, I just want to know why I should trust you. Why didn't you tell us this? We've been teammates for months now?” Were they really? Trent doesn't know if they ever felt like it. Looking up into the teacher’s eyes, Trent can see the unspoken question. How do we know if you’re not still evil? 

“I don’t know. But I never told him anything about us, no matter what you think.” Not that he would have the chance to. Trent looks around, wishing that he could sit down. He’s felt so tired lately, whether from a lack of sleep or food, he can’t tell. 

“Trent? Are you listening to me? This is really important.” Trent stiffens as Dr. O walks towards him, touching his wrist. Suddenly he is back at the house, and it is Anton leaning over him, slamming him into the wall, yelling at him. Trent presses back into the wall, curling up in an attempt to avoid the man, begging him to stop. “Trent!” Then it is Marie, glaring at him as he tries his hardest to write the apology letter like she wants him too. She turns, and Mrs. Erickson, the old headmistress of the orphanage is slapping him across the face, for drawing on her new envelopes. 

“Trent!” Dr. O is back in his field of view, and Trent panics, surprising his teacher as he suddenly races up the stairs and out of the house into the woods. For a sixteen year old he is surprisingly fast, even for the veteran warrior, from years of running away. However the older ranger’s sheer strength allows him to overtake the boy, and he catches Trent in a hug, holding him as he struggles. 

“Let me go, please let me go.” Trent is shaking violently, but Dr. O holds on. “Trent, it’s okay. I’m not going to hit you.” Trent wonders in horror what he had said in his flashback. 

“It was Anton wasn't it. That’s why you never told us.” It’s not the full truth, but it is still scarily accurate, and Trent closes his eyes as comprehension dawns on him. It wasn't so much that the other rangers didn't trust him, but more so that Trent had never trusted them. The first sob racks through his body, and he lets the tears fall for the first time in years. His life has just been one giant mess ever since his parents died. 

He tries to pull away, but Dr. O holds him, and Trent really doesn't want to be left alone, no matter how much he thinks he wants to be. And so he holds onto his teacher’s shirt, taking in the comfort that he needs. 

When the tears finally stop flowing, Trent almost expects Dr. O to leave him, send him home like all the others do. Instead he puts a hand on Trent’s shoulder slowly, and walks him back through the woods to his house. Back inside, Dr. O sits him down on a chair. Then the trapdoor to the lab opens, and the others come in. Trent tenses slightly, unsure of what they will say. 

Conner is carrying Dr. O’s phone in one hand, and has an unreadable look on his face. Kira and Ethan are both at least somewhat noticeably worried. Hayley comes in behind them, and for once she actually looks angry. Trent’s heart sinks, as he watches them stare at him. He shrinks back, but is stopped by Dr. O. 

“I guess you were at least somewhat telling the truth.” Trent stares at Conner in disbelief. “You really hadn't seen your dad for weeks. That’s why he came up to you today at school, huh?” He couldn't for the life of him figure out how the red ranger knew that. Dr. O turns to Trent suspiciously. “Did you even live at home?” And Trent can hear the growing anger, and surprisingly tense tone, and he looks at Conner.

“Mesagog called you.” Both Trent and Tommy are surprised, though for different reasons. 

“No, I rented a place with the money I earned.” He’s done lying. If they’re going to kick him out, then he might as well tell the whole story. Hayley turns to him now, and her eyes are narrowed. “The salary you earn is nowhere near enough to pay for all the food you need with your ranger metabolism, much less pay rent for a good apartment!” Trent winces. 

“We’re going to see this place of yours. Kids, head home. I’ll take care of this.” Trent just hopes that Dr. O won’t hit him when he sees. The money had begun to run short last week, and he had been surviving off instant noodles for days now. 

Trent could see Dr. O’s face growing darker as Trent gave him the directions, leading them closer and closer a bad part of town. When they finally stopped, across the street from the place, next to a seedy bar, Trent was terrified his teacher was going to start fuming at the ears. They got out of the car, and walked down the apartments, half broken down and in bad condition. “You’ve been here for three weeks?” Trent was unsure of what to say. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, as Dr. O's grip on his shoulder was getting tighter. He didn't want to freak out on him again. 

Heading into his room, Trent stood awkwardly, knowing there was no way of hiding the cheap food and necessities he had scrounged up the money for. After a couple minutes of inspecting, Dr. O returned to the front, where Trent was. 

“Grab everything you need, we’re leaving.” Wide eyed, Trent stared at the older man, rather confused. “You’re going to stay at my house.”

“But what if the school finds out-“Dr. O shot him a look, and he went silent, despite the protests that were on the tip of his tongue. 

\---------------------------------------------

As it turns out, Dr. O seemed to have a plan in mind already, and they stopped at Anton’s house. Trent sat in the car, trying not to show his nervousness, wondering for a second if Dr. O was going to get Anton, before brushing it away, realizing how stupid it was. 

Then, when he came back out, he was holding papers that he must have hidden somewhere or gotten from Anton, because he didn’t go in carrying them. Sitting back in the car, he drove them back to his house in the woods. Trent spent the whole time looking out the window, considering ways he could get away. There was no way he was going back to an orphanage or foster care. He would kill himself first. The only question was how to get a veteran ranger with a lot of technology off his trail. And so far he had no ideas.

So Trent’s only choice was to follow Dr. O back into the house, who settled him into the guest room. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, and had to ask one of the questions that had been bothering him. “What are you going to do with me?” Immediately after he winced, he hadn't meant to make it sound so accusatory. 

Dr. O looked at him, rather startled, as if he hadn't been expecting the question. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, how long are you going to let me stay here for?” At his teachers sharp glance Trent sped to reassure him, “It’s only two more years, and no one’s noticed yet. You don’t have to worry about me, I just don’t want to go back to foster care.” Unfortunately Dr. O did not look at all relieved. 

“Trent, calm down. You’re not going back to foster care. Do you see these?” He handed Trent the papers from before, and his eyes widened as he read over the word adoption. “You’re not alone anymore.”

“What happens when you get sick of me? Will you take my morpher and send me back?” Trent looked at Dr. O anxiously.

“No. I don’t know how much experience you have with this, but family sticks together, no matter what. And after this Trent, we’re going to be family. The whole team cares for you. We’re not going anywhere, even if you want us too.” And thinking about how in three hours his life had changed so much, Trent could almost believe it. A small smile began to grow on his face. “Family.”

“I know it’s not going to be easy, I don’t really know what I’m doing either. But would you like to be adopted by me?” Trent knows that it will take time. But he thinks hopes that maybe this time he will really have a home. And so he nods, and in that one movement, puts his trust in Dr. O, and hopes that this time he won’t be left behind. That this time, someone cares enough to help him when he needs it. 

And when Dr. O hugs him, Trent thinks that today at least, it seems like he almost has a family again.


End file.
